One week A license programs?

[deadcactus 0]

I know of at least one place that offers this sort of package. Thinking about using some vacation time to just go for it and get my A license. Willing to travel and just curious: are there any programs around the country with a particularly good reputation for this kind of thing?

Or is the idea of cramming it into a week a poor one?

[pompita 0]

Well, I will say that right now, I can easily imagine spending an entire week jumping. What a blast that would be! Day after day of skydiving...heaven.

But that's today. Looking back on my AFF jumps and those pre A-license jumps, pulling it off in one week may pose a challenge for various reasons:

-Unpredictable weather - You assume that you are going to get a full consecutive week of perfect weather, light winds, etc.

-Failing certain jumps - ego crushing when it happens, but I have met few people that have not failed at least one or two jumps, which means you have to redo it.

-New jumper stress - My first day of jumping I jumped four times. I was really focused on not failing and that intense focus was draining. I needed a rest and days in-between to regain momentum.

All of this said, I think it's doable, again with perfect circumstances. Even if you don't get your A-license that week, you'll probably get a shitload of jumps in with maybe only a few left at the end of that week.

Depending on your perspective and ease with which you take it all in, you might be able to pull it off. But I will say that there is plenty to enjoy at each stage of the process, so what's really the rush?

[Skydivesg 6]

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I know of at least one place that offers this sort of package. Thinking about using some vacation time to just go for it and get my A license. Willing to travel and just curious: are there any programs around the country with a particularly good reputation for this kind of thing?

Or is the idea of cramming it into a week a poor one?

I think doing this in a week is great idea. My son did it and he is now making his name in the sport. He started at 17 and now at 25 makes his living skydiving.

I can't comment on any other DZs that do this but there is one that I absolutely can recommend and that is Skydive Chicago.

They have the A license in a week program and I can tell you that it is amazing.

I have never seen or heard of any other DZ that puts you through the paces like Skydive Chicago.

The instructors, many of whom I know personally, are top notch. The DZ is arguabally the best in the world. Camping, night life (which is very important), jumping 7 days a week and great staff.

You can't go wrong with this DZ. And getting your A in a week will launch you into our sport.

Good luck with your choice.

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[deadcactus 0]

Yea, I realize there's a good chance that weather, personal ability, or luck could mean I come out of the week needing a few more jumps to finish the license. I've got no problems with that. I just like the idea of taking a week to focus on getting a really solid foundation.

I've done a tandem jump and an AFF1 jump before but the training fell by the wayside. I'd like try again and just commit the time and money upfront to make sure I follow through...

[Spills 0]

Skydive Arizona seems to have pretty good weather until it gets too hot and the dust devils come out to play. I think their AFF package includes tunnel time to start as well.

I can't speak for the other places yet but I can give a possitive review of Skydive AZ.

[stayhigh 2]

any big dz with good weather will be able to offer you that program.

First 8 level plus 2 solo jumps would take at least 3 days to finish, and rest 15 jumps in 4 days.

Or I guess you can do 17 solo hop and pops to make things easier, and faster, they don't have to be full altitude.
and learning how to pack parachute typically takes anywhere from 3 hour to all day, depending on personality.

Idea of cramming into one week schedule is a poor one for many people.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[Feeblemind 1]

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any big dz with good weather will be able to offer you that program.

First 8 level plus 2 solo jumps would take at least 3 days to finish, and rest 15 jumps in 4 days.

Or I guess you can do 17 solo hop and pops to make things easier, and faster, they don't have to be full altitude.
and learning how to pack parachute typically takes anywhere from 3 hour to all day, depending on personality.

Idea of cramming into one week schedule is a poor one for many people.

+1

10 days is more reasonable for the ultra determined.

This time of year:
Eloy
Spaceland
Perris
Elsinore

Just to mention a few with the better weather. Nor-Cal has been having good weather this year also, but hell wait 10 minutes it might change.

Fire Safety Tip: Don't fry bacon while naked

[djmarvin 2]

I have personally worked with many students in an A in a week program with much success. Immediate reinforcement is usually a good thing. It is amazing to see what these folks walk away able to do compared to what others with the same jumps can do. There is no promise that a program like this will make you a rock star, but most come out much stronger than they would have if they had done the same jumps over several weeks or months. It's also a fun way to get away. Most jumpers like to find a place to skydive on their vacation, many even plan their vacations on skydiving trips. An A in a week program will keep you moving at the DZ for the that week, but talk about one fun vacation!

DJ Marvin
AFF I/E, Coach/E, USPA/UPT Tandem I/E
http://www.theratingscenter.com

[davelepka 4]

Where do you live? What about local Dzs? What about the DZ you plan to jump at once you have a licesne? Any thought to keeping your business local?

Once you factor in the time and cost of travel/lodging, you would have a nice budget for a local DZ to try and match. Even if they don't have a cheap package, the savings from not having to travel will make up for that.

Also, doing it locally takes away the pressure to get it done in a week. Even if you say you're OK with 'almost' getting it done, we all know your goal is going to be a flight home with an A license in your pocket.

One thought about keeping your business local is to support the DZ, but the other is to make contacts with the staff. If you work with instructors and coaches to get your license, they become a valuable resource for you as you continue to learn beyond the A license. I'm not saying that an instructor wouldn't help any new jumper who had questions, but you'll get a different/better/quicker response if you're one of their previous students.

Just something to keep in mind. If you do want to travel, the Farm in GA on the east coast has a program, Skydive Chicago is a good one (in a couple months), and Perris and Eloy both have on-site wind tunnels but both locations will get oven-like in the peak of the summer.

[skybytch 259]

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One thought about keeping your business local is to support the DZ, but the other is to make contacts with the staff.

Not just the staff. Keeping it local also allows the noob to meet and get to know other local jumpers - ie the folks the noob is going to want to jump with in the future.

The skydives are only part of what makes a day at the dz fun...

[popsjumper 2]

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....Immediate reinforcement is usually a good thing. It is amazing to see what these folks walk away able to do compared to what others with the same jumps can do.

To the OP:

Not hammering on DJ here...just highlighting something in a food-for-thought sort of way.


IMO...
License in a week, while doable, is pretty much one-sided skewed towards in-air skills. That's not to say that you won't be presented with the other side of it. It's simply a matter of goal focus.

"My goal is to accumulate 25 jumps in one week"


There's a lot more involved with skydiving than in-air skills: knowledge is much more important.

What's most important about air-skills is stability and deployment.

What's most important about the rest of it is knowledge.
Knowledge of how to handle problems, how your gear works and much more.


Now, can you get that knowledge in a week? Yes.
Can you retain all the knowledge? Probably not. It's going to take more than just listening to your instructors telling you things. It's going to take some time for it to sink in. It's going to take some repetitions and practice to drill the practical side of that knowledge into your brain.

When things go bad, you can do
-the right thing at the wrong time,
-the wrong thing at the right time and
-the right thing at the right time.

Knowledge of how things work and what to do and when....and repetition and practice to drill it in to help ensure correct responses at the right time is paramount.


Other considerations are...how much of that large volume of training information are you going to retain after the license is achieved?

You wouldn't believe the numbers of people you do not recall much of the very basic knowledge items they got signed off on their march to the A license.

"I got it signed off and that's all that counts. I have my A license!"


Personally, I think a better goal to have is:

"I want to learn as much about skydiving and skydiving safety as I can regardless of how long it takes to help ensure that I have a long, and injury-free skydiving career."

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[deadcactus 0]

While keeping it local will be an option, right now I'm moving so frequently that I don't really feel all that attached. I wouldn't be around my "local" DZ for more than 9 or 10 months, granted that isn't an insignificant amount of time. The other part of it is that if I'm going to take some time off to do this, I figured I might as well see if there is a place worth travelling to.



Definitely not looking for a license mill. It would be nice to finish it in a week, but I agree that the ultimate goal is a solid technical foundation and safety. But I have to think that as long as you and the program are on the same page with that goal, then spending a week living and breathing skydiving can only enhance the learning and retention. Am I off base with that?

[diablopilot 2]

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License in a week, while doable, is pretty much one-sided skewed towards in-air skills.

I don't agree with this quote at all. I would suggest there may be some programs that work that way, but not the one I'm part of.

It's all about the foundation of the program and the people who implement it, and having spent 13 years in the biz, and 2 with this program I haven't seen anything better yet.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[popsjumper 2]

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WBut I have to think that as long as you and the program are on the same page with that goal, then spending a week living and breathing skydiving can only enhance the learning and retention. Am I off base with that?

Not at all. Just keep in mind that knowledge retention is the issue. You'll want to to study, review, practice, review again and practice some more to get it solidly seated in your brain. That's all.

Good luck on your endeavor. I can personally recommend skydiving as a great sport having many personal benefits.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

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License in a week, while doable, is pretty much one-sided skewed towards in-air skills.

I don't agree with this quote at all. I would suggest there may be some programs that work that way, but not the one I'm part of.

It's all about the foundation of the program and the people who implement it, and having spent 13 years in the biz, and 2 with this program I haven't seen anything better yet.

It's great that YOUR program works that way. However, it's a mistake to think that it happens that way across the board or even that it's prevalent. You know as well as I do that quality of instruction is scattered across the spectrum.

I'd be willing to bet that every DZ out there, including your own, has had students or other young jumpers visit and not know much of what they already should know. No, not all training programs work as your does.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[davelepka 4]

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But I have to think that as long as you and the program are on the same page with that goal, then spending a week living and breathing skydiving can only enhance the learning and retention. Am I off base with that?

Just a thought, but keep in mind that once you have a licesne, you're the same as every other license holder. So if you get yours in a week, and go to another DZ to jump, your license doesn't say 'A License #xxxxx, earned in a week'. You'll be treated the same as the jumper who spent 12 weeks earning their license, making one jump each weekend day, and the rest of the weekend at the DZ 'absorbing' the sport.

Especially when you plan to get the license at one DZ, and then jump at another, again, these people have no idea as to the scope of your involvement, just that you have a license. If you earned it at the same DZ you were going to jump at, the staff would know you and know that you have a license, but that you're very 'new'.

That's not to say that you can't tell people you've only been jumping for a week, or continue to study of your own accord beyond that level, but that's up to you.

Let's say you only spend 9 months in any one place, that's plenty of time to get a license and a good foothold in the sport. Even if you took a month to earn the licesne, you still have a good hunk of time left to build some experience and round yourself off as a jumper on your 'home' ground.

If you want to travel, there's something to be said for showing up at a DZ with a license, 50-100 jumps and your own gear. In that circumstance, you could make use of the non-stop lift capacity, and knock out 50 jumps in a week or ten days, and have a blast. As a student, you're not going to be doing more than 3 or 4 jumps per day, and you don't need a 'destination' DZ for that sort of pace.

[Skyper 0]

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I know of at least one place that offers this sort of package. Thinking about using some vacation time to just go for it and get my A license. Willing to travel and just curious: are there any programs around the country with a particularly good reputation for this kind of thing?

Or is the idea of cramming it into a week a poor one?

do you have a mad skillz or supernatural powers? are u a member of microwave generation? if answer to any of those questions is 'yes' you should certainly give it a try.

[Spills 0]

Plus I dont see the NEED to have it done in a week. Some of the most fun you will have at the dz is with other jumpers on the ground. I took my time and had a blast. There wasn't a lot of pressure to have it done by the end of the week. If we got weathered out we had fun rather than stressing out because I wasn't going to finish.

My 2 cents.

[djmarvin 2]

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Not hammering on DJ here

Stop picking on me :P

All programs in the world have weak links, human beings. Some instructors are more thorough than others in any program. I do agree with Andy (popsjumper) that some information can be lost on the way. However that is true with any program. With the right student and right instructors, retention will be higher. It is about what each individual puts into the training, both the student and the Instructor. If you take an A in a week and go uncurrent afterwards and rarely jump, then of course your retention will be week. However the same can be said if you do your license in a year. In my experience with A in a week students v standard learning time students, I have seen retention rates very similiar, the varying factor always seems to be the dedication of the student.

There is no doubt repetition is a good thing, that is why a good A in a week program will make sure you have a thorough review of your emergency procedures daily, with continuing education throughout the day. Good lesson plans are also key to a strong A in a week program (or any learning environment). Having flight plans for each jump helps the student retain the information and encourages discussion and reinforcement by the Instructor.

I understand that people can focus too hard on one objective (in this case, 25 jumps) and important knowledge and experience that comes from class time may be neglected. It is important for an A in a week program to have a schedule that manages everyone's time well. 3-4 jumps a day in seven days will get you an A license. That means there is a lot of time for ground training, whether it is book knowledge, hands on time working with gear, training for new procedures, etc. These things can easily be neglected, but with a good schedule and Instructor a lot of those things can and should be covered easily. It is up to each of us to continue committing those thoughts to memory. Many jumpers of any type of progression has forgotten everything they were taught the day they graduated. We are all students of the sky and should be striving to retain what we have and learn everyday.

I do believe in time spent on the dropzone over years being a major benefit to jumpers, but there is also something said for immersing yourself into a environment that also foster strong growth. The years on a dropzone will come over time, the learning over that time will come with an open mind. Regardless of what time frame program you learn with I am sure you will enjoy what you find and that you will walk away excited about your new license. (research where you want to learn of course)

DJ Marvin
AFF I/E, Coach/E, USPA/UPT Tandem I/E
http://www.theratingscenter.com

[popsjumper 2]

Great post DJ....


...but I'm pissed...
You didn't give me a dadgummed thing to pick on.


Sounds like you have an enviable degree of integrity. I wish it were so across the board.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[ManagingPrime 0]

If you have the $ I would suggest Skydive Arizona for the following reasons:

1. Weather is damn near bulletproof this time of year.
2. Top notch instructors.
3. Tunnel time included in the training.
4. Enough loads going up to get all your jumps in.
5. Solid student gear.

I've seen students move quickly through the school there and while at the end of the day they are "just another new A-license", they tend to have a pretty good grasp on the basics for a new licensee.

The only major drawback I see is the price (after AFF jumps all jumps until graduation are coached)....but I guess you get what you pay for.

Get your license in a week, a month, a year... I don't see much difference between the three. I took a month. My buddy who started with me took a year. I know people who took a week. As long as you do not feel rushed....go for it.

[Ron 7]

You would be better served going to your local DZ and going as fast as you can.

Then after you get the basics done, go to a big DZ and get a week of coaching.

You are going to want to start building relationships with the people at the place you are going to be.... this alone is the best reason to stay local at first.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[djmarvin 2]

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Great post DJ....


...but I'm pissed...
You didn't give me a dadgummed thing to pick on.


Sounds like you have an enviable degree of integrity. I wish it were so across the board.

Thanks for the compliment Andy. It is nice to see people acting like adults here and having conversations with each other instead of at each other. I believe we met in 09 (?) at Spaceland. Would this be the same Andy I am thinking of?

DJ Marvin
AFF I/E, Coach/E, USPA/UPT Tandem I/E
http://www.theratingscenter.com

[Spills 0]

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You are going to want to start building relationships with the people at the place you are going to be.... this alone is the best reason to stay local at first.

+1

[popsjumper 2]

Last time I was at Spaceland was the last Skyfest there....'07?

I have observed Spaceland's FJC twice with different instructors....one impressive, one not so much.

I often do that...sit in on FJCs when I visit places. I often learn things that make my own FJC a little bit better.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239